The Bears' Den--Shirogorov Showcase

Does anyone know of Shiro still makes a Hati on washers in g10 and m390 sometimes?
 
"old school" Hati on washers with CF/M390...smooth as glass.

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I was considering buying my first Shiro (a 95T) and asked for some advice here five weeks ago. Thoughts offered confirmed the 95T as a good idea and also included a Neon because of its size. I ended up going with the advice and I now have both an M390 MRBS 95T and an Elmax MRBS Neon Ultra Lite. It wasn’t an inexpensive five weeks for me.

My situation now is different. Owing to an unforeseen SNAFU, a party that I had paid >$800 to for something I wanted to buy went back on their word and that deal died a sudden death. As a result, I now have >$800 coming back to me. It’ll be in hand and spendable in a week or so. I thought that $$ was gone forever but now it’ll be back in a few days. Needless to say, that “not here yet” $$ is already burning a hole in my wallet.

The siren song of a 111 is now calling loudly to me. In effect, I can have an Elmax/G10 111 for free (or sort of “for free", anyhow)...or if I kick in ~$300, I can have an M390/CF 111...or I could have an M390 Cheburkov Scout with a few hundred bucks left over...or I could have a Thorburn for the amount coming back to me or a bit more...or any number of other possibilities. F5’s and F7’s are beyond what I’m willing to spend so they’re out. I thought briefly about a Hati or an F3, but neither seems to make much sense and that pocket sword 111 is calling my name loudly.

So... What would the Shiro crew suggest this time?
 
Stumpy72 said:
So... What would the Shiro crew suggest this time?
Click to expand...

As usual, Stumpy, the good news and the bad news is the same news. The good part is that you have money to spend and several outstanding knives to consider. The bad is that they're all good choices.

I absolutely love my 111--particularly after tuning up the action (thanks to @anvil_den for his vid and advice) and doing a bit of a reprofile to the blade. It's an absolute cutting machine and thumb guillotine with its wicked free, drop-shutty action. It still has just the right detent to flip out easily with a nice snap. I'm sure the Elmax/G10 version is a fine knife and is a great value, but I think the extra money for CF version is worth it. I have Shiros in 3 steels--S30V, M390, and Vanax37--and all are great, so I'd have to assume their Elmax is excellent too, but I really like their M390. Wondering if there are any serial production 111s in Vanax37

I have 2 Cheburkovs--a bronze ano'd "Pyramid" Scout M390 and a small CF Swift (Strisch or Strizh) in Vanadis8. Both excellent knives with great build quality and great values at price points significantly below Shiro levels. I've just order a customized Raven from Alexandr--stonewashed M390 blade and Ti slabs with a red C-Tek scale that will take a while to produce. Even though this is the Bears' Den, I have no problem recommending Workshop Cheburkova. PM me if you need a source with good selection.

Of course, no post here is complete without pics...

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Editor's note: All pics above contain at least one Shiro to maintain Bears' Den integrity. ;)
 
An F3 would round out you Shiros by adding a liner lock to the mix. On a more practical level, with its thicker contoured handle I've found it more comfortable for more significant work: extensive yard work or breaking down a garage full of cardboard. I think of it as an almost fixed blade in that it can handle almost everything a fixed blade can with more comfort than a typically-thinner frame lock knife. If I camped that would be my primary knife.
 
Stumpy72 said:
I was considering buying my first Shiro (a 95T) and asked for some advice here five weeks ago. Thoughts offered confirmed the 95T as a good idea and also included a Neon because of its size. I ended up going with the advice and I now have both an M390 MRBS 95T and an Elmax MRBS Neon Ultra Lite. It wasn’t an inexpensive five weeks for me.

My situation now is different. Owing to an unforeseen SNAFU, a party that I had paid >$800 to for something I wanted to buy went back on their word and that deal died a sudden death. As a result, I now have >$800 coming back to me. It’ll be in hand and spendable in a week or so. I thought that $$ was gone forever but now it’ll be back in a few days. Needless to say, that “not here yet” $$ is already burning a hole in my wallet.

The siren song of a 111 is now calling loudly to me. In effect, I can have an Elmax/G10 111 for free (or sort of “for free", anyhow)...or if I kick in ~$300, I can have an M390/CF 111...or I could have an M390 Cheburkov Scout with a few hundred bucks left over...or I could have a Thorburn for the amount coming back to me or a bit more...or any number of other possibilities. F5’s and F7’s are beyond what I’m willing to spend so they’re out. I thought briefly about a Hati or an F3, but neither seems to make much sense and that pocket sword 111 is calling my name loudly.

So... What would the Shiro crew suggest this time?
Click to expand...

The 111 is a big knife, if the differences between the G10 w/Elmax and the CF/with M390 are worth the extra money then get the CF111.
Both have mrbs. The real question is, which one would you be more likely to actually use, the CF or the G10 version?
I’m with you on the 111, it may not be the most practical knife to use, but damn I want one.
 
Ajack60 said:
..... the 111, it may not be the most practical knife to use, but damn I want one.
Click to expand...
I couldn’t have summed up my own feelings toward it any better if I tried! That ~4.25” blade is calling me. My ZT 0452 Ti is one of my present favorites, and that’s mostly due to the 4.1” blade. I wish I could afford an all-Ti 111, but that’s not the case.

The G10/Elmax and CF/M390 wouldn’t see any different frequency or type and level of use from me. If suppose if I’m going to drop $800, I might as well take it all the way, spent the whole $1100 and get the top drawer one.
 
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Ajack60 said:
The 111 is a big knife, if the differences between the G10 w/Elmax and the CF/with M390 are worth the extra money then get the CF111.
Both have mrbs. The real question is, which one would you be more likely to actually use, the CF or the G10 version?
I’m with you on the 111, it may not be the most practical knife to use, but damn I want one.
Click to expand...
Stumpy72 said:
I couldn’t have summed up my own feelings toward it any better if I tried! That ~4.25” blade is calling me. My ZT 0452 Ti is one of my present favorites, and that’s mostly due to the 4.1” blade. I wish I could afford an all-Ti 111, but that’s not the case.

The G10/Elmax and CF/M390 wouldn’t see any different frequency or type and level of use from me. If suppose if I’m going to drop $800, I might as well take it all the way, spent the whole $1100 and get the top drawer one.
Click to expand...

I'm sure the G10/Elmax 111 is a great knife, given that I have one Shiro (older Hati on washers) in G10, my experience with 3 different Shiro-treated steels, and Officer's Match Officer's Match 's enthusiastic testimonial of their Elmax. I'm so pleased to have my 111 in CF and M390 and don't think I'd use the "lesser" version any more frequently or cavalierly either. Sounds like a typical Bladeforums enabler "spend more" answer, doesn't it? :rolleyes:

All this 111 talk put my big beauty back in my pocket yesterday as I finished up my art storage project.

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SVTFreak said:
Yeah and I love the bearings. But a washers one I feel won't corrode when apple juice, steak fat, and other gunk got up in there.
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I have a Hati with washers and with bearings, love them both. I have never had a problem with bearings until, I lost my ZT450 for a couple of months, found it in a bush in my front yard, it would not open, took it apart the bearings were completely frozen with corrosion, since everything else was good with the knife ordered some new bearings and now it is good as new.
 
As for the Elmax, I've used my NL quite a bit and really am impressed. It is holding the factory edge really well, and I found out in a rather frightening way it is tough too. I was working in the bindery spiral binding 1500 books that had to be out that day, and a co-worker asked for a knife. We were opening boxes of coils that were light pressboard taped with clear tape, so that is what I assumed he wanted it for. I handed him the 95NL and went back to inserting coils. 15 seconds later I look up and just in time to see him pop open a cable tie that was about 1/4" thick, and then look puzzled at how to unlock the blade (didn't know what a framelock was). I have looked under a loupe and there is absolutely no way to tell it ever happened.
 
^^ Another story that supports the contention that there should be some kind of easy, quick test of IQ and integrity that could be administered to anybody who asks if they could borrow your knife--or at least the idea that you should carry a dull Senrenmu backup to loan to co-workers like that one. On the bright side, at least he didn’t try to cut through those steel bands that are sometimes used to secure palletized items on the pallet.
 
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